Metal–Nonmetal One-Dimensional Electrocatalyst: AuPdP Nanowires for Ambient Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia

The Au catalyst is attractive for electrochemical ammonia synthesis. The design of Au catalyst with favorable morphology and composition is significant for enhancing its performance. Herein, an effective and universal synthetic method is proposed to fabricate unique metal–nonmetal AuPdP nanowires (AuPdP NWs), which is simply performed by the solvothermal reaction of Au nanowires with Pd(PPh3)4. The facile hydrogen adsorption at Pd sites and weak binding to Au sites favor the selective hydrogenation of N2 to NH3. Moreover, phosphorus doping provides more sites for the nitrogen reduction reaction due to its rich valence electrons. Therefore, the AuPdP NWs exhibit superior electrocatalytic performance for electrochemical ammonia synthesis with high NH3 yield, faradic efficiency, and stability. The presented synthetic method provides an attractive strategy for the simultaneous incorporation of Pd and P into metallic catalysts with controlled morphology for various electrocatalytic applications.